QESBA Schedule for the Week of December 13, 2010 Monday, December 13, 2010: Montreal Tuesday, December 14, 2010: Montreal – QUESCREN consultation on English researchWednesday, December 15, 2010: Québec – LEARN conference call / MELS-cs sur les ressources matérielles et financièresThursday, December 16, 2010: Montreal – Go Publique screening, Advisory Board on English Education / Youthfusion presentation, City HallFriday, December 17, 2010: MontrealCOMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN
The QESBA Board of Directors has had its first look at a comprehensive "Community Engagement Plan" produced by the Executive Committee. It has now been forwarded to the Board Chairs, for comment and suggestions from the Councils of the nine member Boards. QESBA's Board will officially launch the action plan after it considers the feedback at its January 28th, 2011 meeting. In the meantime, the staff and Board Committees will begin laying the groundwork. ENGLISH ADVISORY BOARD
QESBA will be represented this Thursday by President Debbie Horrocks, Executive Director David Birnbaum and Director of Communications and Special Projects Kim Hamilton at an exploratory meeting, at the request of the Advisory Board on English Education. The meeting will deal with school board governance and the dossiers surrounding the topic. While the Minister has yet to confirm any timetable or process for school elections, the Advisory Board is eager to develop its own arguments for an eventual written advisory that it will submit to the Minister on this subject. BILL 133
Executive Director David Birnbaum, along with the Executive Directors of the FCSQ, the Fédération des Cegeps and CREPUQ, representing the universities, were briefed last week on Bill 133, deposited by Treasury Board President Michelle Courchesne. The draft law proposes to centralize, regulate and bureaucratize information technology purchases, management and organization by government departments, health and social services establishments and, yes, school boards. There will be consultations on the bill in the new year, although there has been no announcement yet on whether a National Assembly Commission will be convened. QESBA will undertake further analysis, of course, but its initial reaction to the draft bill was that it flouts school board autonomy, risks adding new layers of bureaucracy and expense, and offers no obvious cost savings or efficiencies, at first reading. GO PUBLIQUE
QESBA is currently preparing the complementary materials to accompany the lynchpin of Phase II of its “go publique” campaign – a promotional video to be launched on January 24th, likely at the Rialto Theatre in Mile-End, Montreal. Those materials will include Website support, a mass-distribution pamphlet and some support advertising in regional and urban newspapers. The initiative is being overseen by the newly-named QESBA Communications Committee, chaired by Steve Bletas. WALLACE LAMBERT TRIBUTE SYMPOSIUM
This symposium, coordinated by the Association of Canadian Studies, will honour the pioneer of French immersion and leader in research on attitudes and behaviours associated with language acquisition. The first day will address the international significance of his work and the second, his ongoing influence on Quebec society, French immersion, second-language education and even, the Quiet Revolution. QESBA President Debbie Horrocks has been invited to deliver opening remarks to the second-day session, and QESBA will arrange for a number of the panel speakers and student participants. The symposium will be held in late March 2011. NEW EPCA PRESIDENT
President Debbie Horrocks has written to Morton Jacquays to congratulate him upon his election as the second President of the English Parents Committee Association. The association, which now represents parents at seven of nine English school boards, has consulted with QESBA on a number of key dossiers, including the recent rencontre des partenaires on special needs and a MELS consultation on new student evaluation practices. The two presidents will be meeting next week. |